Mega Man X series

The first in a spin-off from the classic Mega Man series, Capcom decided to use the new SNES platform to herald in a new franchise, which takes place approximately a hundred years after the original Mega Man games. The X series has a much darker storyline, which involves robots based on X's design (called Reploids) going 'maverick' and attacking innocents. The main villain of the series is a Maverick called Sigma.

Don't mess with a perfect formula must be the motto at Capcom, as they've kept the same formula:
- defeat eight bosses each with unique strengths, and inherit their weapons
- rock/paper/scissor style, where certain bosses weapons may be needed to help defeat other bosses
- A new twist in 'X' series is that depending on which boss gets defeated, it may affect environment of other stages, making them either easier or more hazardous

Mega Man X2 was released by Capcom and is the second game in the Mega Man X sub-franchise. It used the same graphics engine from the first installment of the series, but Capcom included an in-cartridge enhancement chip to improve semitransparencies and allow for some 3D graphics in the game. Mega Man X3 was the only other game to ever use this chip. Like the first game, it's praised for having an excellent soundtrack.

New Features:
- First game in the series to have the Mavericks launch their special and more powerful attack once they were drained of a bit more than half their health. This strategy would follow for all the Mavericks in later games.
- Zero uses his trademark weapon, the Z-Saber, for the first time.

This is an IBM PC port of the first SNES title, Mega Man X. In order to address gameplay concerns, this game shipped in two versions - one standalone, and one with a PC 6-button controller included. Though not as good as the original SNES version, it's definitely a large improvement over the DOS failures of 'Mega Man' and 'Mega Man 3'.

Mega Man X3 was the third game in the Mega Man X sub-franchise and the last to appear on the Super Nintendo console.

Like its predecessor, Mega Man X2, Capcom included the Cx4 chip to allow for some limited 3D graphics and transparency effects. Also, Mega Man X3 was the first game in which Zero is a playable character in addition to X. It's also the first Mega Man game to feature multiple endings.

Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and PC received an enhanced 32-bit CD version of X3 in 1996, but only in Japan and Europe. In North America, the enhanced version only showed up in PC format, in 1998. Aside from improved music and sound effects, as well as cut scenes, the 32-bit CD versions had notoriously slow loading times (except for PC). Also, it is the 32-bit version that appears on the Mega Man X Collection in 2006.

Mega Man X4 is the fourth game in the Mega Man X series. It launched on both the Sega Saturn and PlayStation, followed shortly by a PC version.

Gameplay is similar to the other installments of X series, but feature the following changes:
- When choosing to play either as X or Zero at the start, you're committed to that for rest of game (previous titles allowed you to switch characters for different levels)
- 2 new tanks have been added: Weapon Tank, and EX Tank
- first X game to have conversations with bosses before Boss fight begins, rather than simply seeing the Boos and start fighting

trivia: This title nearly didnt get released on PlayStation (along with X3 and Mega Man 8) as Sony tried to enforce a policy of no 2D games - only 3D - for their new console. After much debate and persuasion -- apparently Capcom, the company that had also created PlayStation's first million-selling game Resident Evil, threatened not to release the hotly-anticipated sequel Resident Evil 2 -- Sony caved in and allowed Capcom to release Mega Man games in 2D.

Mega Man X5 is the fifth main game in the Mega Man X series by Capcom. It was released three years after Mega Man X4, and in 2002 for PC.

X5 was developed by a different team than X4, and this is evident in the style of gameplay. The most prominent difference in this iteration is the time limit of 16 hours, until the space station Eurasia crashes into Earth. If the crash is not prevented, this does not end the game-it merely changes the course of the story. Every time the player enters a stage, one hour is expended. Due to the nature of the storyline, there are multiple endings to the game. Which ending is seen depends on such factors as whether or not the crash of Eurasia is prevented, and whether X or Zero is used to defeat the last boss. Also, the ability for either X or Zero to 'duck' is now made possible.

The Mavericks in X5 are: Grizzly Slash, Squd Adler, Dr. Izzy Glow, Duff McWhalen, The Skiver, Axle the Red, Dark Dizzy, and Mattrex. These name seem odd compared to rest of the series, but each is 'borrowed' from the members of Gun'n'Roses. One can only assume the development team were G'n'R fans.

A PC version was also made. It is almost identical to the original, but it has a rather odd bug that the original version doesn't have-when you first teleport into a stage, the background moves very quickly, almost like it is speeding out of control. It stops as soon as the stage begins, however.

Mega Man X6 is the sixth main game in the Mega Man X series by Capcom, and is the first to not be directed by series creator Keiji Inafune. The game was released for the PC in 2003 as well, but only in Asia.

The story begins three weeks after Mega Man X5, with Zero missing, presumed dead, and the Earth's surface rendered uninhabitable.

The gameplay is very similar to Mega Man X5. The player can select X with the option to outfit him with different armors offering unique abilities (most of which have to be downloaded, as always, through Dr. Light's hidden capsules.) Zero can be unlocked after finding and defeating the Zero Nightmare, bringing his own weapons and techniques to the fold, including a refined Z-Saber fighting style.

Mega Man X7 is the seventh main game in the Mega Man X series, and the only one (to date) to have 3D gameplay. It is also the first in the series to appear on the PlayStation 2. It was also released for the PC in Asia though it suffered from numerous bugs (such as Zero's hair being "missing" during gameplay).

Although X7 is the first game in the series to have 3D gameplay in addition to the standard 2D style, it was received negatively by fans, and it's also to date the last Mega Man to have 3D gameplay. It is also the first and only X series game where X's buster can be fired directionally.

Part of the Mega Man X world but not a true sequel, Command Mission differs from the original X games in that it is a turn-based, role-playing game rather than a side-scrolling action game. The story seems to take place after Mega Man X8 and before Mega Man Zero. New Characters are featured in this game: Spider, Massimo, Marino, and Cinnamon join the trio of X, Zero, and Axl.

The title was designed by the same team that created the failed 3D game, Mega Man X7, so graphically, it shares similarities to the game.

Common complaints of this RPG title is that it's 'too short', 'too linear' and 'too far on the easy side', though its graphics and battle system have been well received.

The Gamecube and PS2 version are near identical, but some reviewers found the GC version to have smoother framerates, less jagged graphics, and faster load times.

This is a North American exclusive compilation, released on GameCube and PS2. After the success of the Mega Man Anniversary Collection, Capcom decided to follow it up with a collection of its Mega Man X titles. This title includes:

Mega Man X (often referred to as simply "X") was created by Dr. Thomas Light around 30 years after the original series. X was a new breed of robot like no other with the ability to make his own decisions. After completing the creation of X, though, Light realized that there was a possibility X might choose to turn against humankind. Fearing this, Light sealed X away in a diagnostic capsule for thirty years of testing to make sure he would not choose an evil path in life. It is unknown what happened to Dr. Light during these 30 years. X's capsule was eventually uncovered by an archaeologist named Dr. Cain almost 100 years after X's creation. With X's help, Cain and X created a legion of new robots replicated from X's ability of free-will— these robots were called "Reploids." For a time, everything seemed calm and peaceful.

However, a virus began spreading that caused Reploids to turn against humans. These Reploids were dubbed Mavericks, and a force called the Maverick Hunters was formed to combat them. X joined the Maverick Hunters alongside another powerful robot named Zero. The Maverick Hunters were originally led by Sigma until he too became a Maverick. Because of his betrayal and eventual declaration of war against the humans, X took it upon himself to join the Maverick Hunters and current leader, "Zero", on a mission to save Earth from Sigma.

Through out the series, X and Zero battle against Sigma and his maverick followers to stop their many diabolical plots to destroy the human race.